Shoe with pliable top line



March 26, 1963 I J. A. clAlo 3,082,552

sx-xoE WITH PLIABLE TOP LINE Filed Dec. S? 1959 JNVNToR. JOSEPH A. CVA/0.

Flag. gy/W7 ATY'OENEY United States Patent O 3,082,552 SHOE WITH PLIABLE TOP LINE Joseph A. Ciaio, Corona, N.Y., assignor to Modern Shoe Making Machinery Corporation, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 858,526 Claims. (Cl. 36-68) This invention relates to shoes, and more particularly, to form-fitting shoes.

Ordinarily, shoes having hard counters also have inflexible top lines defining the foot receiving opening of the shoe, except for handcrafted shoes, in which such top line is softened Iby expensive finishing processes. While the cuboid hard counter is extremely desirable for purposes of its own, the inflexible top line detracts from the comfort and form-fit of the shoe. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide shoe construction having a pliable top line or margin that is extremely comfortable, provides an exceptionally good fit, and which will overcome the aforementioned difliculties.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a shoe having a pliable top line or margin and a hard counter that can be manufactured by conventional shoemaking machinery, and which does not require additional hand working or finishing operations.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide shoe construction of the type described, in which the rear quarter is partially filled with a hard counter of any desired construction, while a space between such hard counter and the foot -receiving opening-defining portions of the upper, defines a pliable marginal top line or border of any desired width which will readily conform to the shape of the foot and snugly engage it during use.

An important feature is to provide means for bonding together the plies of material such as the upper, the liner, the doubler and/or plumper paper to form the pliable marginal top line, and at the same time provide a limit line in the counter pocket, beyond which the counter cannot move toward the top line, thus also obviating the possibility of loose floating linings.

All of the foregoing and still further objects land advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of a shoe made in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of certain parts of the upper shown in FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of certain parts of the upper shown in FIG. 1, in a preliminary manufacturing stave.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of a spacer strip forming a part of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side view of certain parts of a shoe upper made in accordance with the present invention lin an intermediate stage of manufacture.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of another portion of the shoe upper made in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along line 7 7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 5, showing an advanced stage of manufacture.

EFIG. 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of certain parts of the upper shown in FIG. l.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing a modified form of spacer tape.

FIG. 111 is a view similar to FIG. 9, showing the spacer tape of FIG. 10 in assembled relationship with the other shoe upper parts.

3,082,552 Patented Mar. 26, 1953 ICE FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing still another type of spacer strip.

FIG. 13 isa view similar to FIG. 9, showing the spacer strips shown in FIG. l2 in actual use.

FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing still a further type of spacer strip `forming a part of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 3 thereof, a shoe 15 made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include an upper 17 having a sole 18 and heel 19 secured thereto in a conventional manner. The shoe also includes a lining 28 and may also include a fleece doubler or plumper paper 21. For purposes of illustration, the shoe is further illustrated as having a length of binding 23, secured such as by stitches 24, to the upper 17 around the foot-receiving opening-defining portions thereof. The lining |28 is also shown to be secured to the lupper 17 and the strip of binding 23 by means of space-row stitches 29, all in a substantially conventional manner.

In addition, the shoe 15 also includes one or more strips of tape 25 coated on opposite sides 26a, 26h, by means of adhesive. This adhesive, which is preferably pressure sensitive, adheres to the facing surfaces of the upper 17 and lining 28, as is shown in FIG. 9, to form a pliable marginal edge portion or top line 27 which will readily conform to the foot and tend to snugly engage it when it is placed within the shoe.

Of course, the adhesive tape 25 may be as wide as desired, the lower edge thereof being placed yalong a predetermined form line. Any excess tape extending outwardly beyond the trimv line 30 of the lining may be con veniently trimmed during one of the finishing operations. In the counter area 32, the space between the upper 17 or fieece doubler or plumper paper 21 and the lining 28, between the sole 18 and the adhesive tape 25 forms a pocket 31 (FIG. 9) within which a cuboid hard counter 33 (FIG. 1) of any desired construction may be inserted. This counter may comprise a separately molded or formed counter that can be inserted into the pocket 31 prior to the assembling of the shoe upper to the last, or may be injection molded therein in accordance with new manufacturing techniques. In any event, the adhesive tape I25 prevents the counter 33` from rigidifying the top line or margin 27 of the shoe, wherever desired, and as determined by the application of the tape 25.

In FIGS. 10 and 1l, a slightly modified type of adhesive tape 35 is shown to be similar -to the tape -shown in FIG. 4, wherein one side 36a is completely coated with adhesive, while the opposite side 36b thereof is only partially coated with adhesive so as to leave an uncoated strip area 37 which will not adhere to the adjacent portions of the lining 28. =In this arrangement, the counter 33, when injection molded, may more readily blend into the pocket and integrally adhere to the uncoated area of the tape 35.

In FIGS. l2 and 13, ya still further modified form of adhesive tape 40 is shown, wherein both sides 41a, 41h are only partially coated with adhesive, leaving -a thin strip 42a, 42h along each side that is uncoated. In this arrangement, especially in the application of an injection molded type counter, the counter will adhere to both uncoated edges 42a, `42b of the tape, providing a smoother transition area between the counter and the pliable top line or margin 27, and integrally securing the counter to the tape. In FIG. 14 of the drawing, the tape 45 is shown to similarly include opposite sides 46a, 46b, both of which 'are only partially coated with adhesive to provide 'for an uncoated strip on each side 47a, 47 b, and is further provided with perforations y49. These perforations 49 will receive some of the injection molded as counter material therewithin, thus integrally locking such injection molded counter, tape, upper, and lining together, in an extremely ,effective manner.

It will now be recognized that the use of the adhesive tape integrally secures the adjacent portions of the upper and lining together, provides a snug tting pliable top line or margin that Will snugly engage the foot, and which will define a pocket for the counter that is spaced from the top line, and which will not detract from the appearance of the shoe, but which will provide a handworked -eEect ordinarily available on only the most eX- pensive types of shoes. Also, this type of construction can be readily per-formed on conventional shoe-making apparatus.

While I have described the use of strips of pressure sensitive tape or the purpose of bonding the plies and closing the pocket,` it should also he understood that other bonding materials .and methods may be used, as for instance, heat sealing. In this case, a thermoplastic material may be used between the lplies, either -as a strip of iilm of suitable mil thickness; or a thermoplastic material may be extruded upon one of the plies, the material lbeing of the desired durometer. The plies may then be united by heat sealing. The entire counter may be made of polyethylene including the heel seat liange, and shaped to the top line or margin in a feather edge; or a hard molded ibre counter coated or impregnated with thermoplastic resin, may be used. Or the counter may be all leather, a combination of leather and ber, or fabric impregnated with thermoplastic resins.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a shoe having ya sole,` an upper, and a lining, the lining and the upper material and the shoe sole constituting three sides of a pocket for a counter, a

hard counter Within said pocket and means to restrain said lining and saidupper material .against relative movement in all areas above the top edge of said hard counter, said means ycomprising a double coated pressure sensitive dry adhesive tape strip extending from the top edge of the hard counter, between the upper material and the lining, upwardly to the foot receiving opening of the shoe to securely adhesively unite the lining to the upper material and to deline `a marginal pliable top border around said foot receiving opening.

2. In 4a shoe as set forth in claim 1, wherein said adhesive means comprises an adhesive tape strip coated on oppositev sides with pressure sensitive adhesive.

3. In 'a shoe as set lforth in claim 2, wherein said.

adhesive tape strip comprises ta flexible band completely coated with adhesive on one side, and the opposite side of said band is partly coated with adhesive to define a non-adhesive area along the length of said band facing said counter.

4. A shoe `as set forth in claim 2 wherein said coating of pressure sensitive adhesive ,only partly covers each side of the strip, the remaining uncoated area on each side of said strip extending toward said counter.

5. In a shoe as set forth in claim 4, wherein said uncoated area of said strip defines a continuous row of perforations along the entire length thereof, said perforations receiving portions of said har-d counter to secure said counter within said pocket in assembly with said strip.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,937,916 Saval Dec. 5, .1933 1,967,914 Troy Iuly 24, 1934 2,018,245 Ayers Oct. 22, 1935 2,084,868 Quinn June 22, 1937 2,104,598 Troy Jan. 4, 1938 22,149,552 Schlesinger et al. Mar. 7, 1939 2,152,354 Maclean Mar. 28, 1939 2,154,023 Bain Apr. 1'1, 1939 2,180,076 Swartz 1 Nov. 14, 1939 2,197,102 Edwards Apr. 16, 1940 2,224,504 Riddell June 3, 1941 2,328,601 Baird Sept. 7, 1943 2,483,520 Blake Oct. 4, 1949 2,638,689' Stritter May 19, 1953 2,646,584 Herlihy July 28, 1953 2,714,733 Herlihy Aug. 9, 1955 2,720,042 Marcy Oct. 11, 1955l 2,756,519 Hill July 31, 1956 2,977,692 Benesch Apr. 4, 19611 FOREIGN PATENTS 392,450 Great Britain May 18, 1933 

1. IN A SHOE HAVING A SOLE, AN UPPER, AND A LINING, THE LINING AND THE UPPER MATERIAL AND THE SHOE SOLE CONSTITUTING THREE SIDES OF A POCKET FOR A COUNTER, A HARD COUNTER WITHIN SAID POCKET AND MEANS TO RESTRAIN SAID LINING AND SAID UPPER MATERIAL AGAINST RELATIVE MOVEMENT IN ALL AREAS ABOVE THE TOP EDGE OF SAID HARD COUNTER, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A DOUBLE COATED PRESSURE SENSITIVE DRY ADHESIVE TAPE STRIP EXTENDING FROM THE TOP EDGE OF THE HARD COUNTER, BETWEEN THE UPPER MATERIAL AND THE LINING, UPWARDLY TO THE FOOT RECEIVING OPENING OF THE SHOE TO SECURELY ADHESIVELY UNITE THE LINING TO THE UPPER MATERIAL AND TO DEFINE A MARGINAL PLIABLE TOP BORDER AROUND SAID FOOT RECEIVING OPENING. 